Apparatus for constructing concrete buildings



May l, 1928.

R. H. AIKEN APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING CONCRET BUIEDINGS Filed vApril 9. 1926 3 SheelS-Sheei` May l, 1928.

R. H. AIKEN -APPARATUS FOR GONSTRUCTING CONCRETE BUILDINGS Filed April 9. 1926 S'Sheets-Shee. 2

./Illllla/IIIIAII.

May l, 1928.

R. H. AIKEN APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING CONCRETE BUILDINGS Filed April 9. 1926 3 Sheets-Shee' Patented May l, 19258.

UNITED* (STAT/Es insana Partnr lor-FII.

ROBERT I-I. AIKEN, DECEASED, LATEy OF vl-IN'IIHROP HARBOR, ILLINOIS, BY IANNETTE K. AIKEN, ADMINISTRATRIX, OFNWIINTHROP HARBOR, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUGTING CONCRETE BUILDINGS.

Appli-cation aieapaprna, 192e. @serial .Na 100,912.

There arev many advantages gained..V in erecting concrete building wallsby forming each in an approximately horizontal posi-y tion and when it is set swinging it intoav vertical pla-ne. Such a wall isheavy, and it has been usual to .have it overhangthe plane in which it is to stand, the overhangingfporf tion eounterbalancing an equal portion.y on the opposite side of a support, so thatthe weight to belifted is greatly lessened., @In many cases, however, for example, alongside an existing wallor between two buildings, there can be no such overhanging, fAn object of this invention is rto provide for obtaining the desired cantilever-like arrangement by simple devices usable in all cases, and even with a material saving of expense, time, safety, and convenience. This general object is attained by swinging the wall about an axis parallel to the plane in which the wall is to stand and also moving that aXis toward said plane. A convenient way of doing this is to provide a rigid support alongside the plane with that of the upright wall, resting on this support the periphery of a circular segment, securing to the upper side of the segment a wall-carry-Y ing platform, and at the proper time roll* ing the segment along said support toward said plane. The rotation or rocking of the segment 4will not exceed 900, obviously.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus in the primary position of its parts and the wall.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line Tf-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3M-37 of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a View of certain gears, taken from the left hand of Fig. 1. Y

In these views 10 represents a rigid plane base structure, usually of structural steel, preferably anchored to the earth, alongside and at a short distance from the plane in which the wall is to stand. 11 a rack fixed to the upper -side of said base, 12 a peripherally geared circular steel segment engaging said rack, 13 a strut, downwardly inclined from said plane, having its upper end pivoted at 141 to a bar 15 extending nearly horizontallyy along the upper region of said segment, and provided at its lower end with a pinion 16, upon a shaft 17, engaging-.va rackll Aupon the baseflO. 18 represents a ,power shaft carryinglatpinion 19, ineslillgwitha gear 2() which in turn drives the pinion 1,6,.and 2l a platform secured to the segment 12, the Aparts ybeing in the lpositionsshown in f-ull lines inF ig. l, and a concrete wall 2,2being upon the platform 21, rotation ofthe power shaft 18 yandits pinion 19, C0mne1ar9tat0n 0f the gear 20` and pinionrlG, thehlatter lbeing ythus forced to move along vits rack toward the right hand. movement carries the'strutnearer to iierpendicular position andthus raises the pivot 14 rocking or rolling the segment toward the right, moving its center correspondingly and increasing the inclination of the platform and wall thereon. The struts length does not change, however, and the kparts are soproportioned that as rotation of the power shaft continues, the wall passes slowly to vertical position, being at the same time moved bodily along the base, while the strut, when that position is reached is still slightly inclined. To guard against swinging the wall beyond the vertical position, the shaft of the pinion 16 extends beyond that pinion and is provided with a roller 23 which slides along under a rigid member '24 of the base until it meets a stop 25, or, in effect, moves in a way which precludes all lifting of the pinion and arrests its onward movement when the wall reaches a vertical plane.

It is plain that the point of support, or of contact, between the segment and itsv rack, moves gradually toward the plane in which the wall is to lie, as does the center of the segment. Although neither the apparatus nor the wall at any time overhangs the plane in which the wall is to lie, the overhang with respect to the point of support is equal to the radius of the segment plus the projection of the platform beyond the segment,

and the entire overhang at all times bal-. i

ances an equal width on the opposite side of the point of support, and as the segment may practically be large, a wall of several stories may be nearly balanced, and the erecting loss will be correspondingly small. All this is true although the distance of the edge of ythe wall from theyplane in which it is to stand is less than the difference between the radius and quadrant of the segments circumference.

The apparatus has been described as having only one segment but, practically, there Y may be as many as are desired, according to the length of the wall, one bein@- perhaps suflicient for erecting a column. bimilarly, other parts may be, and usually will be, duplicated.

Obviously, structures other than concrete walls may be erected in substantially the same way.

What is claimed is:

l. For swinging a rigid building wall from nearly horizontal to Vertical position, the combination with a rigid base alongside the plane in which the wall is to stand, and having on its upper side a rack, a peripherally geared circular segment engaging said rack, a wall-carrying platform secured to the upper side of said segment, a strut downwardly inclined away from said plane, pivoted at its upper end to the said platform, and having at its lower end a pinion engaging a rack perpendicular to said plane, means for forcibly rotating said pinion whereby the inclination of the strut is lessened and said segment is compelled to roll toward said plane.

2. For swinging a. rigid building wall from nearly horizontal to vertical position` the combination witha ri lfid base alongside Y the plane in which the wa l is to stand, and

haring on its upper side a rack, a` peripherally geared circular segment engaging said rack, a wall-carrying platforn'i secured to the upper side of said segment, a strut downwardly .inclined away from said plane, pivoted at its upper end to the said plat form, and having at its lower cnd a pinion engaging ay rack perpendicular to said plane, means for forcibly rotating said pinion whereby the inclination of the strut is lessened and said segment is compelled to roll toward said plane, and moans for preventing said pinion from rising as it advances.

In testimony whereof` I hereunto aix my signature.

JANNETTE K. AIKEN Admwswaw' of Robert H. Avi/cen., De-

ceased. i 

